From Blackfriar's Bridge
by WritinGale
Summary: Will and Tessa have their first conversation since the 'roof incident'. Will it end in an inevitable disaster, or newfound peace? One-shot


Will found her exactly where he expected her to be; the library. He saw her sitting at one of the long tables in the center of the room with her nose buried deep in a book. Creeping up to her chair slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible, he peered over her shoulder to see what she was reading. With a glance at the top of the page he could tell that the novel was Moby Dick. With her mind engulfed so deeply into the story, she didn't seem to notice he was only a few short feet behind her, and pulling her out of her peaceful reverie was actually quite hard for Will to do. Watching her quietly, Will debated whether or not this was a good idea. He knew it wasn't the best thing for him, but what about for her? Would it end badly? Was she even worth the pain he would most certainly suffer?

In the end his choice remained the same. He closed the last couple feet between them, tapped her shoulder twice, and whispered in her ear; "Follow me." And without a single glance behind him Will walked out of the library, down the hall, out the front door, through the iron gate, and around the Institute to the peaceful beach of the Thames river.

He made an abrupt stop at the lip of the river, almost as if he forgot that he wasn't the saint he believes himself to be, and in fact, cannot walk on water. At least that's how it seemed to Tessa as he turn slowly to face her.

With the coldest stare she could muster, and arms crossed defiantly over her chest, Tessa began her long awaited, and much needed rant. "Okay, you got me down here. And quite a feat that was if you don't mind my saying. You're lucky I'm even willing to look at that obnoxiously proud face of yours after what you've said to me on the roof. So what do you want? Are you going to try and steal my virtue again? My life is like a fun little game for you isn't it? I'm just another girl whom you wish to chalk down on your list of achievements. Well you listen to me William Herondale, I am in no mood to stand here while you trample on my heart all over again. So I'll give you _one_ chance, _just one_, to try and compensate for that day. But dear Lord if I hear an apology come out of your mouth-"

"My God woman! You talk a lot! I was right that day, you are just like duck. Not just in the waddle of your walk, but in the quack of your voice." Will smiled at his own attempt of lightening the mood, but it was obvious in his eyes, he knew he had said the wrong thing.

With a flounce, Tessa turned her back to him and stormed away, her brown hair bobbing from the force of her angry steps. Without thinking, and before he could stop himself, Will grabbed Tessa's swinging arm, pulled her around to face him and kissed her. Then the most astonishing, unpredictable thing happened; she kissed him back. With their bodies pressed so closely together, Will could feel her heart beating rapidly, from anger or the kiss, he wasn't sure. He was so overwhelmed at his success at earning her forgiveness he almost didn't noticed when she bit him - almost.

With a slight jump of surprise he broke away from her. Her face was flushed and her eyes said told him she regretted their kiss immediately.

"Was it really that bad?" He asked her with a slight smile.

"Oh Mr. Herondale, don't you realize I do not want to be kissed by you anymore!"

"So we're back to that now?" Will made an over dramatic sigh and click his tongue three times in a disappointed manner.

"Back to what?"

"Back to the 'Mr. Herondale' thing. I swear Tess dear sometimes it's like we just met all over again."

"Well sometimes I wish I never met you at all." Tessa sighed, not a fake, playful sigh like Will's, but a real sigh, caused only by the knowledge of some terrible truth she has just accepted. "I didn't mean to kiss you back just now, and just so you know I won't be doing it again, so don't even try."

Will was stung by her words but was careful to hide it from her. Its not good for people to know they have the power to hurt you. "Well," he begun simply, as if nothing were about to change, "would you like to pretend that you never did? That we're meeting just now?" With one look at her skeptical face, Will knew she would need some more convincing. "You said you didn't want to hear an apology. Well how about a compromise? We can start all over."

She couldn't deny, it sounded like a nice idea, forgetting that she ever started to fall for Will, forgetting about their crazy first kiss in the attic, but most appealing of all, forgetting about the heart wrenching words he spoke to her on the roof. "Okay," she spoke carefully, willing herself not to give away any emotions "under one condition. Don't ever try to sleep with me again."

Will laughed. "Well that's easy Miss- I'm sorry what's your name again?"

Tessa couldn't help but smile as she extended her hand. "Gray. Miss Theresa Gray. And you are?"

"Why, haven't you heard of me? I'm the most gorgeous, cunning Shadowhunter of all time!" Will stood up tall and proud, strutting about in a teasing matter. Just like he teased her in the library when she was learning how to walk and talk like Camille. So they were back to the 'friend's little sister' game? Well two could play at that.

"Oh! Deary me! You must be James Carstairs, well I've heard all about you! But oh my, you don't appear to be Chinese at all!"

The two continued on with playful banter as the sun slowly set behind them. And as the seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into hours, Tessa couldn't help but feel relieved and think that perhaps the Institute would become a peaceful haven for her again, and no longer be a hiding place from Will.

...

Jem watched from his perch on the railing of Blackfriar's bridge. It was bittersweet for him, seeing them like that. He got the one thing he wanted most in the world, more than he wanted to be cured of his disease, and even more so than he wished for his parents to be alive; Tessa's happiness. Her smile seemed to be the only thing keeping him sane these days. Yet on the other hand, seeing that the smile was directed at Will, caused by Will, nearly tore him to pieces. The jealousy that surged through him every time he laid eyes upon their tender romance left him weaker than the loss of his dreaded demon blood had. Though he knew his jealousy was irrationally foolish, he couldn't help but wish it was him who made Tessa's face brighten up like that.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay so what do you think? Its my first fanfiction ever and I was little, well extremely, scared to post it. But thanks to amazing friend Bubbles I got up the courage, and well, here it is.<br>For those of you who hate one shots, I'm very sorry but I doubt this will ever be anything more. It felt bad enough for me to let Will 'win' when I'm Team Jem so I doubt I could keep it up that way. Secondly, with Clockwork Prince coming out in December, I couldn't see continually extending on a story that would most likely prove to be very different from the book.**

**-WritinGale**


End file.
